Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that developing the talents, abilities and creativity of children and adolescents will be key to building a strong and prosperous Bangladesh. He urged them to pursue sports, arts, culture and foreign language learning alongside their academic studies.
"This Bangladesh is yours to build and shape. You must make Bangladesh stand strong on the world stage. Each of you is an ambassador of Bangladesh and an owner of this country," he said.
The prime minister made the remarks as the chief guest at the inauguration of the second season of ‘Natun Kuri Sports 2026-27’ at Khulna District Stadium on Thursday (November 5) afternoon.
Emphasising the importance of developing children's abilities in multiple fields, Tarique Rahman said academic education alone was not enough. Every child should also develop skills in sports, visual arts and cultural activities.
He said success on the global stage required proficiency not only in education but also in sports, arts and culture.
"Some of you will become doctors, engineers, architects or lawyers after completing your studies. But alongside that, you must also learn about sports, art and culture," he said.
The prime minister pointed to performances by students of the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), who demonstrated their abilities through sports as well as dance, music and other cultural presentations at the event. He urged children across the country to develop their talents in a similar way.
Encouraging them, he said, "You can do it. You can study, you can play sports, and you can also develop skills in art and culture."
Noting that more than 1.6 million children and adolescents had already joined the second season of Natun Kuri Sports, the prime minister said the final round would be held in June next year.
Children from more than 500 upazilas, municipalities, districts and other units across the country are participating in the competition online.
He said the participation of 1.6 million young people demonstrated that Bangladesh had no shortage of talent among its children. The government's responsibility was to create the necessary opportunities and an enabling environment for them.
Tarique Rahman said the government wanted to build an environment where children could pursue education while participating freely in sports and cultural activities. Necessary facilities would be developed gradually to achieve that goal.
The prime minister also outlined a plan to give children the opportunity to learn a third foreign language in addition to Bangla and English. Each child would be able to choose one language from a selection of six or seven foreign languages, he said.
"If you do well in your studies, become skilled in sports, arts and culture, and learn a third foreign language, no nation in the world will be able to hold you back," he said.
Tarique Rahman expressed hope that Bangladesh would one day become such a strong and prosperous country that it would serve as an example to the rest of the world. Instead of citing other countries as examples, he said, people around the world would look to Bangladesh.
Addressing the children, he reiterated: "This country is yours. You must build it. Each of you must develop yourselves into an ambassador of Bangladesh."
Earlier, the prime minister arrived at Khulna District Stadium at around 2:45pm. He formally inaugurated the second season of Natun Kuri Sports by releasing balloons and pigeons.
He also inaugurated the competition online in 503 upazilas across the country.
Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque and National Parliament Whip and Khulna-3 MP Rakibul Islam Bakul accompanied him.
During the ceremony, the prime minister watched various performances by BKSP students, as well as traditional Chinese dragon and lion dances presented by students from China.
After entering the stadium, he approached students and athletes seated in the galleries. Thousands of children and adolescents greeted him enthusiastically with applause and waves. The prime minister responded by waving back, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the stadium.
At the end of the programme, he planted a sapling on the stadium premises.
He later visited Khulna Circuit House ground, walked around the field and exchanged greetings and handshakes with members of the public gathered there. He departed for Dhaka by helicopter at 5:22pm.
A total of 1,623,218 participants from across the country registered online for this season of Natun Kuri Sports.
Volleyball and table tennis have been added to the previous eight events, bringing the total to 10 sporting disciplines. Children aged between 10 and 14 can participate in the competition.
The event is being held under the theme, "When Sports Become a Profession, Families Find Security." The first season was inaugurated in Sylhet on May 2.
